Electric railway.



No. 655,455. Patented Aug. 7, I900. W. B. PURVIS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY. (Applimtion filed. Apt. ae is/ 0o.

(H0 Nodal.)

awmdoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM B. PURVIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRlC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,455, dated August 7, 1900. Application filed April 24, 1900. Serial No,14,091. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. PURvIs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of an improved construction of an electric-railway system, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of an electric railway constructed in accordance with my invention and taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section taken on the line a m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary view in side elevation and section, illustrating the means for preventing the accumulation of moisture within the conduit. Fig. at represents a vertical transverse section of a modified construction embodying'my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A designatesmy improved conduit, which is of non-conducting material, being preferably wood suitably treated to be damp-proof. The said conduitAis embedded in the road-bed B, which is preferably asphalt or other approved material, and at one side thereof the sections of the third rail 0 are mounted, said sections of the third rail 0 projecting above the road-bed B in the usual manner. The upper side of the conduit A is provided with a longitudinal channel or groove that consists of an upper section D to receive the cover E, the main-feeder section F, in which the main feeder G of the electricrailway system is situated, and the lower section-H to receive water and moisture that may accumulate within the channel of the conduit. The cover E is also of non-conducting material, as well as non-magnetic material, and is provided at its upper side with embedded plates .I, of non-magnetic material and which is an electric conductor. On the lower side of these covers E are similar plates K, said plates J and K being fastened by means of bolts L, of conductive material, that extend through the cover E. It is understood, of course, as shown in Fig.1, that said plates J and K are arranged in insulated sections corresponding to the sections of the third rail O,and corresponding sections of said plates J and third rail 0 are connected by conductors O. The said third rail 0 is mounted upon a longitudinal elevation of the conduit A, which forms a shoulder or lateral projection, against which fit the blocks of non-magnet-ic material M, which rest upon the upper side of the conduit A and whose upper faces are flush with the road-bed B. (Shown in Fig. 2.) a

The car is designated by N and is provided with a current-collector P and magnet Q of familiar construction.

The main feeder or cable G differs from the cable heretofore used in these systems of electric railways in that instead of being round-for instance, as shown in Letters Patent granted to myself May 1, 1894, No. 519,29lit is'flat and is composed of a series of connected Wire coilsfor instance, somewhat on the order of wire mattress fabric. This flat main feeder has an extended surface to be acted upon by the magnet on the car, which increases the certainty and exactness of the operation thereof.

In Fig. 3 I have shown means for preventing the accumulation of moisture within the conduit. Although the conduit A is made damp-proof as far as practical and is inclosed on all sides by suitable moisture-proof and insulating material, yet there may be an accumulation of moisture Within the conduit, which of course is objectionable, and to obviate this I propose to pass through the conduit dry air to carry oif such moisture. In said Fig. 3 the end sections of the conduitA are shown. At one end said conduit is connected with the chamber R, containing a suitable solution to deprive air of this moisture. A pipe S leads to the bottom portion of said chamber, and the other end of the conduit is connected with an air-forcing device T, which when in operation creates a current, as indicated by the arrows, to draw air in through the pipe S and deprive it of its moisture in passing through the solution in the chamber R and then pass it throughthe conduit as dry air to take up and carry ofl' any moisture which may accumulate therein.

It is understood, of course, that by constructinga conduit so that there is only nonmagnetic material between the main feeder and the magnets of the car the maximum of the magnetism is utilized, since the lines of force on the magnet pass through non-magnetic material and are absorbed only by the cable G or main feeder.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the third rail is mounted upon a separate base or foundation-piece and is connected with the contact-plates in the conduit by suitable electric connections, which may contain a safety-fuse, 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an electric-railway system, a closed conduit containing a flexible main feeder, a third rail electrically connected with terminals situated within said conduit and adapted for contact with said main feeder, the covering for said conduit and the material of said conduit situated above said main feeder being composed of non-magnetic material.

2. A conduit for an electric-railway system, consisting of a base of non-magnetic and nonconducting material having a longitudinal channel in its upper side, a flexible main feeder within said channel, a cover for said channel composed of non-magnetic material, conducting-plates of non-magnetic material situated on the upper and lower faces of said cover, and a third rail electrically connected with the upper conducting-plate.

3. In an electric-railway system, a closed conduit, a flexible main feeder therein, terminals within said conduit adapted for contact with said main feeder, and a contact-rail connected with said terminals, the portion of said conduit situated above said main feeder being non-magnetic. V

4:. In an electric-railway system, a close conduit having its upper side composed of non-magnetic and non-conducting material, a flexible main feeder in said conduit, terminals within said conduit adapted for contact with said main feeder, and a contact-rail con; nected with said terminals.

5. In an electric-railway system, a conduit having a base of non-magnetic and non-conducting material provided with a channel in its npperside, a flexible main feeder in said channel, a cover for said channel of nonmagnetic and non-conducting material, terminals within said conduit adapted for contact with said main feeder, a contactrail mounted upon said base and connected with said terminals,and blocks mounted upon said conduit, said conduit, contact-rail and blocks being embedded in a suitable road bed with the upper side of the contact-rail and blocks exposed.

WILLIAM B. PURVIS. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, \VM. CANER WIEDERSHEIM. 

